


Valentine`s child

by Carzekiel101



Series: Pregnancy series [5]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV), carzekiel - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29442462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carzekiel101/pseuds/Carzekiel101
Summary: The baby is coming.
Relationships: Ezekiel/Carol Peletier
Series: Pregnancy series [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758478
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Valentine`s child

**Valentine`s child**

Disclaimer: They`re not mine. Not making any profit with them. Just having fun.

Uh-oh.

Carol looks down at the small puddle forming at her feet.

Shit. Double-shit.

Her lower belly contracts in a sharp pang of pain, leaving no doubt about what was happening.

Her baby was coming.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Carol tries to reign in the flash of panic that`s trying to overwhelm her. It`s not like her going into labor was coming unexpected. It was her due time and her and Ezekiel have been impatiently waiting for the past two weeks for this to happen.

Until today. From the moment she woke up this morning she had been hoping that their son would wait just a little bit longer. Just a couple more days.

Just her luck he had other ideas.

She was going to have a baby. In the middle of a freaking snowstorm.

“Goddammit.”

Biting her lips, Carol snickers softly. “Don`t tell Daddy I`ve been swearing, sweetheart.”

She strokes her belly lovingly, smiling. Only a couple more hours now and she would finally hold her love child in her arms.

Screw the circumstances. She could do this. With Ezekiel`s help she could do anything.

Turning to the bed, Carol sheds her now soiled pants and puts on some fresh ones, then slowly walks downstairs to tell her husband the exciting news.

Passing the door to the living room, Carol sees Henry lying on his stomach in front of the fireplace, a book in his hands. Before entering the kitchen, she stops, watching Ezekiel. He`s cleaning up after their dinner, humming softly. At times Carol is hit by the deep love she feels for her family. Ezekiel. Henry. The child growing inside of her. Despite all the pain she suffered in her past, all the horrors they all went through since the world fell, somehow she made it out on the winning side.

All of this wasn`t a dream. It was reality. She had the perfect marriage. The perfect family. She`s looking down at the huge belly she`s been carrying around for months now.

And she was having a child. Now.

Oh, yeah!

Chuckling again, Carol steps through the door and into the kitchen. Ezekiel looks up, smiling brightly at his wife. She walks over to him, tilting her head up to receive his kiss.

“I thought Henry wanted to help you” she says.

“Oh, he did. Just storing everything away.”

His eyes sweep over her, a small frown appearing on his face.

“Are you wearing my pajama bottoms?”

Leaning back against the counter, Carol puts her hands on her belly, looking up at Ezekiel.

“I do. They`re comfy.” With an adorable pout, she adds “Your son here made me soil mine.”

Tilting his head, Ezekiel`s eyes dart to her belly and back to Carol`s face, not quite getting what she was trying to tell him. Smiling, she reaches for his hands, placing them on either side of her belly.

“It`s time” she whispers softly.

Ezekiel`s eyes go round in surprise. “Oh. Oh! Really?!”

“Yeah” she breathes.

For some heartbeats they stare at one another, their emotions clearly visible on their faces – uneasiness, excitement, happiness. It`s a strange mixture, but above it all there is love. Ezekiel`s hand comes up to gently cup Carol`s cheek and she grasps it, needs to hold on to him, relying on his strength.

“We`re on our own.” His voice is calm, belying the thundering of his heart.

“I know.”

“We can do this.” He knows that she needs his reassurance.

“I know.”

A smile is blossoming on his face, the kind of smile that lights up her entire world. The smile she fell in love with and that has the power to make her forget about all the bad things in the world. The smile that always turns her insides to mush and makes her smile back at him.

“Yes, we do!” Both his hands cup her face now, his lips lovingly pressing against hers.

“Mom?”

They part when they hear Henry`s voice behind them.

“Yes?” Carol looks at him over her shoulder.

“Do we have some cookies?”

“Henry, we are –“ Ezekiel starts, but is cut short by his wife.

“There`s some in the jar on the table, Henry.”

“Thanks!”

Carol can feel Ezekiel`s eyes on her and almost imperceptibly shakes her head, squeezing his hand. She waits until Henry has left the kitchen again, happy with a handful of cookies, before she looks up at her husband again.

“You don`t want him to know?”

“I don`t think he needs to witness this. He`s still a child. I don`t want him to see me in pain. It`ll still be some hours before it gets really bad. He`ll be sleeping by then. With any luck, the baby will be here when he wakes up tomorrow morning.”

“I understand.” Ezekiel leans down to press a kiss to Carol`s forehead. “I love you so much.”

She hugs him as best as she can. “I love you, too.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“We wait.”

And that`s what they do. The next two hours go by more or less uneventfully. Carol`s contractions come with long intervals in between. Ezekiel is watching her attentively the whole time, covertly checking his pocket watch every time she presses her hands on her belly and takes a deep breath. Henry is absorbed in his book, just looking up every now and then, regarding Carol with a slight frown.

“The baby`s kicking like crazy tonight.” Carol smiles at her son, feeling a tiny bit guilty about the white lie.

Eventually, after finishing his book, Henry says goodnight to his parents, retreating to his room. The pauses between Carol`s contractions are gradually getting shorter while the pain increases in intensity. It`s still bearable, though, and so she tries to relax as best as possible, stretching out on the sofa with some pillows stuffed behind her back, her feet propped up in Ezekiel`s lap. He`s massaging them, the way he`d been frequently doing lately.

Outside it`s still snowing, cutting them off from the rest of the Kingdom.

Another contraction washes over Carol. Closing her eyes, she sinks further back into the pillows, concentrating on breathing through the pain.

“They`re coming every ten minutes now.” Ezekiel`s hands gently rub up and down his wife`s legs.

“It`s gonna be a long night.” Carol unsuccessfully tries to stifle a yawn.

Ezekiel smiles at her. “You`re the experienced one here. I know there isn`t really much I can do to make this easier for you, but –“ he pauses, making a helpless gesture with his hands “ – but if you need me to do anything, you have to tell me. You`re in command. And if you feel the need to kick my ass for putting you through this, just go ahead. I can take it.”

Carol chuckles, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together.

“You`re here with me. That`s enough. Believe it or not – all things considered this is a lot better than the first time I did this.”

Ezekiel leans forward to kiss the swell of her belly. A part of him longs to know what it was like for Carol when she gave birth to her daughter Sophia, but he wouldn`t ask her. He doesn`t want to put her through any painful memories.

So instead, he puts on a teasing grin and says “I wouldn`t miss this for anything in the world.”

Carol strokes his head, her fingers curling around some strands of his dreads to pull him closer for a kiss. He complies eagerly, his mouth moving softly against hers. They lose themselves in each other, only parting when another contraction steals her breath away. Ezekiel gently caresses her belly through it, then settles back in his former position.

It was going to be a long night indeed.

When her contractions are coming in 5-minute-intervals, Carol is getting restless. Holding her hands out to Ezekiel, she orders “Help me up. I gotta move around for a little bit.”

The hallway is too cold, so they just walk back and forth in the living room. Ezekiel puts on some soft music, not too loud so as not to disturb Henry sleeping upstairs. Grabbing Carol`s hands, he swirls her around, making her giggle. Moving behind her, Ezekiel puts his hands on her hips, swaying with her to the music. She leans her head back against his shoulder, letting him guide her.

“That feels nice.”

Smiling, Ezekiel kisses her temple, happy that he was able to help her relax a little.

The movement is helping things along, the contractions coming faster and lasting longer. Every time one is rolling over her, Carol goes rigid, trying to breath through the pain. She`s getting tired and she`s sweaty, her clothes becoming more and more uncomfortable. Slowly, she walks back to the sofa, shedding her pants in front of the fireplace. She starts unbuttoning her shirt, but Ezekiel comes to her help, sliding it down her arms. Carol motions for him to help her out of her bra, then slips back into the shirt, feeling a lot better.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she eyes the fireplace.

“You should stack up some more wood.”

Ezekiel quirks an eyebrow at her.

“The baby will need it warm” she says in way of explanation.

“Right. You`re gonna be okay for some minutes?”

Carol smiles at him with her hands on her hips. To Ezekiel, she never looked more beautiful than right in this moment. His queen. “Sure I am.”

He steps up to her, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. “I won`t be long.”

At the door, she calls him back. “Also bring some water and fresh towels. We`ll need them.”

Ezekiel hurries up, not happy to leave Carol alone for even a second. When he returns with everything they need, he finds her kneeling in front of the sofa with her back to the fireplace, her head resting on her arms. After quickly putting some more logs on the fire, he settles behind her, gently rubbing up and down her spine.

“I also brought you some fresh clothes and something to wear for our little one.”

Turning her head, Carol smiles tiredly at him. “Thank you.”

“Do you need anything else, my Love?”

She shakes her head. “No. Just be here with me.”

“Of course.”

The fire is heating his back, so Ezekiel quickly gets rid of his shirt. A new contraction wrecks Carol`s body, the strongest one so far, causing her to moan deeply in pain, her hand shooting back to dig into Ezekiel`s thigh. He barely registers it, concentrating on her face.

“Breathe, baby.”

His head is next to hers, his chest plastered to her back. He breathes with her through her pain, supports her with his body and his love. Another hour goes by like this. Both of them are drenched in sweat, but they barely move, holding on to each other. With the force of her next contraction, Carol pushes herself up, her hands tightly gripping Ezekiel`s. This time, she can`t quite hold in the cry of pain. When it`s subsiding again, she sags back against Ezekiel. Her hair is sticking in wet curls to her face, so he brushes it away tenderly.

“I can`t go on anymore.” Her voice is weak with her exhaustion, her eyes closed.

“Yes, you do. You`re doing an amazing job, my Queen.”

“Don`t call me that.”

Ezekiel chuckles low in his throat, his lips brushing against her temple sweetly.

“Tell me something.”

“What do you want me to tell you, love?”

Carol just slightly turns her head so she can look at her husband. “I don`t know. Something. Keep my mind off – “. Her words turn into another moan, but Ezekiel understands what she wants. Once she slightly relaxes again, he says “Remember the day we made him?”

His large hands lovingly stroke her belly. A beautiful smile appears on Carol`s lips.

“I do.”

They both agree that their baby was probably conceived on her last birthday. Lacing her fingers with Ezekiel, Carol concentrates on his voice, let`s him take her back to that day.

“So, what do you think which time it happened? In the morning? Afternoon? Or maybe at night?” His voice is teasing, eliciting a small chuckle from Carol. They`d been indeed very busy.

_She had woken up from the feeling of Ezekiel`s lips on her spine, his beard and dreads tickling her back. She had felt warm and cozy surrounded by his body and his love, all too willingly giving in to his seduction. Their lovemaking had been lazy, barely moving at all, the pleasure rolling over them in endless delicious waves._

_After an extensive breakfast with pancakes and fresh strawberries from the garden, the family had all gone about their daily tasks. In the early afternoon Carol had ventured over to the exercise area, watching Ezekiel and Henry train together. Seeing the two of them together always filled her with love and pride, making her incredibly happy to be a part of this family._

_Aside from that, Carol always enjoyed watching her handsome husband. He moved gracefully, the display of his muscles calling to her female nature. The day had been warm, his undershirt sticking to his skin, highlighting his magnificent physique. When they had finished their exercise, Henry left for the stables to spend some time with his favorite horse, giving his mother a hug as he passed her._

_Carol walked over to Ezekiel, a seductive smile on her lips. Stopping mere inches from him, she let her fingertips wander over his bare arm. She raised her head, her lips brushing against his when she whispered, “Hey you”. Ezekiel`s arm snuck around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Unfortunately, they got interrupted by Jerry who informed them that one of the outlooks had spotted a small herd of walkers coming towards the Kingdom._

_After a short intervention, the King and Queen headed out with two of their best fighters to take care of the problem. Two hours later they returned home, covered in dirt and gore, but immensely pleased with themselves. And even hornier than before. No sooner had they stepped foot in their bedroom, they started tearing at each other`s clothes, stumbling their way under the shower. That time their coupling was wild and hot, leaving them a shaking breathless mess afterwards._

_Later that night, after her husband and son had spoiled her with a fantastic dinner, Carol was led back to their bedroom by Ezekiel. He had a boyish grin on his face telling her that some surprise was probably waiting for her. Narrowing her eyes at him, she faked suspicion, making him grin even wider. There were dozens of candles and flowers in their room and although Carol wondered when he had found the time to do that, that wasn`t the actual surprise._

_There was a boom box placed on one of the dressers. Opening a drawer, Ezekiel pulled out a small box wrapped in some colorful paper and decorated with a red ribbon. Inside Carol found an old-fashioned music tape. Ezekiel had actually recorded a tape for her full of_ _romantic love songs. The sweetness of his action once more had left her speechless. They had laid back on their bed, her on top of him, listening to the music._

_Eventually, they had started kissing, innocently at first, feeling like teenagers. They were in no hurry at all, their fingers slowly exploring each other`s bodies, getting more and more adventurous with every kiss. Their clothes landed on a heap on the floor, their naked bodies pressing against each other intimately. Carol took the lead, kissing her way down Ezekiel`s body, all the while firmly stroking his hardness._

_Looking up at him, she made sure to have his attention before slipping her mouth over him. She loved him watch her, alternating between licking and sucking. She only stopped when he started moving his hips, his hands gripping the bedsheets. Carol settled over him, sliding down on his shaft, moaning her pleasure. Reaching for his hands, she placed them over her breasts, then set a steady rhythm._

_Their eyes were fixed on each other, unable to look away. Ezekiel instinctively knew when to add a little more pressure, one of his hands sneaking between her legs, swiping over her engorged clit – one time, two times, three and she was clamping down on him, her body slumping forward, shaking in his arms. He held her tenderly until she went still, then rolled her underneath him._

_Her hands immediately grabbed his face, pulling him in for a long kiss. When they parted, Ezekiel rose up on his knees, pushing her legs up. He started feeding her deep powerful thrusts, again and again, her body quaking with the impact. She was climbing the cliff again, but she wanted him there with her. His eyes were glued to the place where they were joined, but he looked up when he heard Carol whisper his name._

_The need in her eyes lured him in. Letting go of her legs, he settled himself on top of her, his lips immediately searching the delicious taste of her taut nipples. Arching her back, her hips surged against his, her orgasm pulling her under. He was right there with her, relinquishing his power to her, filling her with his life. The world around them just disappeared, the only sound he was hearing his name on her lips._

_“Zeke.”_

“Zeke!”

She is going rigid in his arms again, the pain shooting through her body from head to toe. Or at least that`s what it feels like. Her lower body suddenly feels like it might explode, the pressure unbearable.

“Help me lie down. It`s coming.”

Ezekiel gently lowers her down to the floor, then props some pillows under her back to make her a little more comfortable. He quickly makes sure that the water is heating over the fireplace, before turning his full attention back to his wife. Kneeling between her legs, he looks at her, nodding encouragingly.

“All right. You can do this!”

“Okay. Okay.”

With the next contraction, Carol holds her breath and pushes with all her might. When it`s over, she sinks back against the pillows, desperately sucking in some oxygen before the next one washes over her. And another one. A sob escapes her parted lips. Geez, how could she forget how painful this was? How could she allow Ezekiel to put her through this? She wants to scream at him, but there`s barely any strength left in her. Just when the pain flares up again, she hears his voice.

“I can see the head. You`re doing fantastic, baby. Just one more!”

“Okay.” Carol gasps, then closes her eyes. For a second, the pain threatens to overwhelm her – and then it lessens. She can feel the head slipping out, the rest following in a heartbeat, her whole body relaxing with the sudden relief. For a moment there`s complete silence and then she can hear her baby cry. Her baby! Mustering the last bit of her strength, she looks up, seeing Ezekiel kneeling before her with a small bundle in his arms.

“Zeke! Is he okay?”

He is tearing away his eyes from the crying baby, looking at his wife. Tears are streaming down his face and he`s got the most wondrous look on his face she has ever seen.

“Ezekiel?”

Slowly, the brightest smile appears on his lips, easing away all her worries.

“She`s perfect! She –“ his voice is breaking, his eyes darting back and forth between Carol and the baby in his arms. “She is perfect.”

“What?”

Carol stares at him. She?!

Ezekiel is moving, gently placing the bundle on Carol`s chest.

“It`s a girl. We have a baby girl.”

He`s laughing, lifting one edge of the towel he had wrapped their baby in to let Carol see with her own eyes what he had already discovered.

“A baby girl.” She looks up at him, overwhelmed with the love she sees on his face. He`s reaching up to wipe at the tears that have begun rolling down her cheeks, then bows down to softly kiss her.

“I love both of you so much.” Ezekiel`s head drops down to the pillow next to Carol`s, cradling his wife and his newborn daughter in his arms.

“I love you, too.” She pauses, then adds, “We need to clean her up.”

Nodding, Ezekiel kisses her forehead, then moves over to the fireplace. Wetting another towel in the hot water, he first washes the baby and then dresses her in the clothes he brought for her earlier. Carol struggles in a sitting position, wincing at the slight pain and making a face when she sees the mess on the floor stemming from the afterbirth.

“Don`t worry, I`ll take care of that. But first, we need to get you clean as well.”

Very carefully, Ezekiel places the baby on the sofa, then turns to Carol.

“Can you stand for a moment, sweetheart?”

She nods, extending her hands to him. “Help me up.”

He steadies her, then quickly works to get the sweat and grime off of her. After rubbing her dry, he helps her into some fresh pj`s. Picking up the baby, he places her in Carol`s arms. Once she is comfortably lying on the sofa, Ezekiel cleans up the mess on the floor and puts more wood on the fire. When everything is done, he settles next to his wife, watching their daughter feeding on her breast.

“Carol?” A thought just entered his mind.

She looks at him sleepily, a soft smile on her lips.

“Happy Valentine`s Day, my Queen.”

They must have dozed off for a little while because neither of them hears Henry entering the living room.

“Mom! Dad!”

Blinking tiredly, Carol and Ezekiel open their eyes, looking up at their son who is staring down at them with an incredulous look on his face.

“Henry.”

“Mom – the baby!” Henry drops to his knees next to his mother, leaning closer to better see the now sleeping baby in her arms.

“Yeah.” Carol reaches out to stroke her son`s head, still infinitely exhausted. “Say hi to your baby sister.”

“Sister?!”

The skeptical look on Henry`s face prompts an amused chuckle from Ezekiel. “Yes, my boy, you now have a little sister. It`s been a surprise to us as well.” Kissing Carol, he adds, “but a most welcome one.”

Fighting his own fatigue, Ezekiel scrambles up from the sofa, looking down at his family with utter love and happiness.

“Why don`t you stay here with your mother while I go and fix us some breakfast?”

Neither Carol nor Ezekiel are very hungry, but Henry digs right in, gulping down several large sandwiches. He volunteers in cleaning up the kitchen afterwards, before settling down next to Carol once more.

“Can I hold her?”

“Sure.” Carol smiles at him, then places the baby in Henry`s arm. “You need to be careful with the head. Yeah, like that.”

Henry studies the baby affectionately. “She is tiny.” Looking up at Carol he asks, “What are we calling her?”

That was a good question. They had been expecting a boy and hadn`t come up with a girl`s name, although early on in her pregnancy Carol had pondered some possibilities. Now having her daughter in front of her eyes, she was suddenly certain. Grabbing Ezekiel`s hand, she smiles at him.

“What do you think about – Helena?”

Ezekiel lifts her hand and places a kiss on it. “Princess Helena. A beautiful name for a beautiful child. Excellent choice, my Love.”

Leaning forward, Carol kisses his lips softly, then yawns heartily. She wouldn`t be able to keep her eyes open for much longer. Just in that moment the baby starts crying again. Taking her out of Henry`s arms, Carol tries to find a comfortable position again, unbuttoning her pajama top to feed her daughter. While she does so, Ezekiel asks Henry to come help him with something.

Carol hears them go upstairs and rummaging around somewhere, then coming down again some moments later accompanied by some rumbling sounds. She`s quirking an eyebrow at Ezekiel when she sees what they brought down.

“It will be more comfortable for you to sleep on.”

As it was too cold in their bedroom upstairs currently for the baby, Ezekiel has decided to bring down their mattress, placing it on the floor between the sofa and the fireplace. Stacking it up with some blankets and pillows he turns it into a cozy nest. Once the baby has fallen asleep again, Carol gratefully settles down, followed by Ezekiel. Holding their daughter in their arms between them, both of them soon are asleep as well.

Henry meanwhile gets comfortable on the sofa with another book, every now and then glancing over at his parents and sister sleeping peacefully, a happy grin on his face.

Outside it has stopped snowing, the cold winter sun filtering in through the windows. It would be quite some work to dig a way through the snow, but that could wait.

Right in that moment, the world was absolutely perfect.

The End


End file.
